Valve's next-gen 'Deckard' VR headset reportedly enters mass production, company allegedly plans to ship up to 600K units annually — upcoming 'Steam Frame' could launch before the end of the year

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Deckard might be a replicant after all.

Valve Index headset
(Image credit: Valve)

Valve has been known to be working on a new virtual reality headset for at least four years now, as a follow-up to the mildly successful Valve Index, which launched in 2019. In 2021, we first learned that it was codenamed Deckard, and now, reports state that this new device is potentially very close to its release. According to Upload VR, Valve's Deckard headset has entered mass production, intending to ship up to 400,000–600,000 units annually.

The news comes Chinese analyst firm, XR Research Institute, which claims that the next-gen headset is actually launching this year, with production lines already filled. Upload VR reports that the Steam Deck has sold around 5 million units so far, while Meta's popular Quest 2 VR headset shipped 20 million units. This could be a sign that Valve has grand designs for its next hardware release to land well with customers, with the supply to match it.

New controllers

We also know about the controllers that will come with Deckard (or the Steam Frame), as they were also spotted in SteamVR code. These are codenamed "Roy," taking the Blade Runner naming theme further. The leaked designs appear to be similar to the Oculus Touch controllers, equipped with motion-sensing rings capable of precise gameplay. After all, Half-Life: Alyx, the game that launched with the Valve Index, remains a milestone in the VR gaming industry.

Valve's Deckard headset was tipped to launch in late 2025, and this new report suggests production is well underway. Previous leaks have also claimed that Deckard could come with a $1,200 price tag. That would put it squarely in the premium VR headset category. As for whether or not Valve's Deckard, or Steam Frame, actually makes it out in time for a 2025 release, is anyone's guess.

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Hassam Nasir
Hassam Nasir
Contributing Writer

Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • GenericUser2001
    Its hard to get excited about VR stuff; I have tried some headsets, but having something like that strapped to my face is uncomfortable after like 20 mins. I game to relax, and sitting on comfy chair or couch with a big screen is just nicer.
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    Unless the Deckard has* some irredeemable, catastrophic, flaw or missing a critical functionality compared to the Index, this is very likely a day1 purchase for me.

    I hope they still use the Lightbase 2.0 system still. Tracking is just top notch and responsive still.

    Regards.
    Reply
  • kealii123
    What VR game other than Alyx is worth getting?
    Reply
  • coolitic
    GenericUser2001 said:
    Its hard to get excited about VR stuff; I have tried some headsets, but having something like that strapped to my face is uncomfortable after like 20 mins. I game to relax, and sitting on comfy chair or couch with a big screen is just nicer.
    I wish there was a push to separate the motion controls from the VR headset, like the Wii controllers or the Razer Hydra (or w/e it was called); the appeal of VR to me personally is the motion controls, which give you a unique way to interact w/ the environment, and not the VR-headset itself.

    Most games that support "seated VR" should be backwards-compatible w/ such a scheme, I think.
    Reply
  • JollyRoger87
    kealii123 said:
    What VR game other than Alyx is worth getting?
    There's a few for sure, but I feel you here. Most VR experiences feel like glorified tech demos. Very few companies seem willing to put the time and effort into truly AAA experiences for VR and no one has done anything remotely as spectacular as Alyx.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    kealii123 said:
    What VR game other than Alyx is worth getting?
    What about racing & flight sims?

    Are there any RTS-type games that have good VR implementations? That's a genre I thought could potentially benefit from 3D and effectively having a super-large screen. For that matter, maybe even sports games that use a top-down or isometric perspective.
    Reply
  • txfeinbergs
    GenericUser2001 said:
    Its hard to get excited about VR stuff; I have tried some headsets, but having something like that strapped to my face is uncomfortable after like 20 mins. I game to relax, and sitting on comfy chair or couch with a big screen is just nicer.
    I agree with you. I got the PS5 VR2. It was pretty cool to mess around with at first. As an Alien fan, the Alien game was neat, but at the end of the day, it has started collecting dust. I would rather sit and relax.
    Reply